When it comes to swimming pools, one of the biggest decisions people face is whether to go with a chlorine pool or a salt water pool. In some cases, pool owners may consider changing their pool from salt water to chlorine. One of the misconceptions that comes with a salt water pool is that it is chlorine-free. While you won’t find the traditional chlorine tablets, you will find a salt water chlorinator that is used to create chlorine similar to that found in chlorine pools.
The big difference is that salt takes the place of chlorine tablets. This creates a slight salt water solution that your pool filters. During this process, the salt water passes through a salt cell and gets a small electrical current. This creates the pool’s own chlorine which helps to keep it clean.
Many people decide on salt water pools to avoid the irritants that can come along with a chlorine pools. But, then other issues may arise with salt water pools leading some to decide to change from salt water to chlorine.
Why People Change from Salt Water to Chlorine Pools
Depending on who you talk to, some people will tell you they would never switch from salt water to chlorine. But then there are others who have tried salt water pools and are not satisfied for one reason or another. Here are some of the most common reasons people decide to switch over to chlorine pools:
- Can become high maintenance. Muriatic acid may have to be added regularly to clean salt water cells which do need to be cleaned regularly.
- High pH & calcium build-up. Salt water pools have a tendency to see their pH levels rise. If you don’t maintain your pool properly this can lead to calcium building up as well.
- Expensive up-keep. Buying the equipment to install a salt water pool can be expensive and so can the up-keep. The cost to keep salt water chlorinators running can add up as well as the replacement costs for the cells (average $500).
- Salt water can cause damage. Some salt water pool owners report damage on their lawns, deck, and pool equipment due to the salt water.
How to Make the Switch from Salt Water to Chlorine
Many people find switching from salt water to chlorine is much easier than switching from chlorine to salt water. The main issue is to get the salt water out as much as you can.
In order to get remnants of the salt water out, many experts advise draining the pool and refilling it. But, it is not advised that you simply drain the water out into your yard. Draining salt water pools like that can hurt the ecosystem because salt breaks down into various components that can be harmful to the environment. That’s why a truck needs to be brought in to suck the water out. As you can imagine, this can become costly depending on the size of your pool and layout of your yard.
Even when you do this, there may some salt residue, but it should be extremely low. Basically by draining your salt water pool when you want to make the switch to chlorine, you are starting from scratch. You obviously no longer need salt for your pool. This is going to be replaced with chlorine tablets.
Things to Consider Before Switching from Salt Water to Chlorine
One of the main differences you may notice when you switch from salt water to chlorine is the feel of the water. With salt water, the issue of red eyes and skin irritants is much lower, despite the presence of chlorine. Also, with regular chlorine pools some people report issues of swimsuits fading and blonde hair turning color. If these types of things don’t faze you, then the switch to chlorine may not be as difficult.
In the end, it comes down to what types of things you’re willing to deal with when it comes to your pool. If the salt water maintenance and damage is too much to bear, then it may be time to think about switching from salt water to chlorine.
But, if you can’t deal with the smell of the chlorine or some of the irritants that some people have problems with, then you may want to stick with your salt water pool.
While both types of pools require cleaning and maintenance, keep in mind that you should always have shock and chlorine on hand to keep your pool in optimal shape with a chlorine pool. The same rules apply as with salt water pools when it comes to skimming it to get out debris and vacuuming it regularly to keep algae out.
Maintaining Your Swimming Pool
You could take these tasks on yourself, or you can hire a pool company to do the work for you. Lone Star Pool Services can take this job off your hands with a scheduled pool cleaning plan. We can test your water and make sure all levels are where they need to be for safe swimming.